


Some Kind of Stranger

by rogueandranger



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, i don't really know what im doing and this is kinda short, its not great but eh whatever lol, masquerade au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 20:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7547053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueandranger/pseuds/rogueandranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vex'ahlia and Percy de Rolo cross paths years before the formation of Vox Machina at a masqurade held in the halls of Whitestone. Years later, they meet again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <em>And memories may last for years but</em><br/><em>Names are just for souvenirs</em><br/><em>Some kind of angel, let me look into your eyes</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Kind of Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> haha so idk what this really is and honestly i feel like... i could have done it very differently and made it longer but. im choosing to do it this way instead. because yolo. i hope you guys enjoy it!

“I hate this,” Vex mumbles under her breath as her brother pulls the ribbons of her mask tight, tying it into her braided up-do and securing it to her face. She runs a finger over the edge of the mask, admiring the deep blue hue and the glint of silver holding the pearls in place. While it’s a beautiful piece of finery, its weight is heavy and unfamiliar. It’s a delicate thing. Dainty. Is this what it feels like to truly wear a mask?

(It’s so different from the one she made, the one she wears; the one she knows. Crafted to be the “perfect daughter”. It’s as if they are layered, a mask to hide a mask. She feels as though it’s not a weight on her face, but on her soul.)

“I know,” Vax says, placing a light hand on her shoulder as they stare at the reflection in the mirror. The two of them make quite the sight, draped in silky finery adorned with silver and gems. Her dress alone is likely worth a frightening amount of money, never mind her shoes; she reminds herself to pocket some of the gems once this event is all good and done. 

“Remind me again why we’re even here?” she asks her brother as she smooths out her skirts. The dress itself is beautiful, of course, made of a silky, deep blue material that matches her mask. It’s one of the three that she’d been sent with (none of which she had chosen for herself). They compliment her, certainly, but they don’t suit her. Not really.

“Father sought another opportunity to be rid of us,” he scoffs, picking at the sleeves of his finery. He seems stiff in his own robes as well. They don’t suit him either, not at all. He’s meant for the shadows, and every shift of him catches the light. He can’t hide like this, even with the mask perched on his nose. “An event held by stuffy nobles, in which we’d be absent for a week at the very least? He’d be a fool not to send us away.”

Vex lets out a bark of laughter, turning to smile at her brother. His lips quirk up into a smirk, his eyes glittering with mirth behind his mask, and it puts her nerves at ease. It’s only three days in the castle, and they’re only required to attend the dances held each night of the event. If anything, it’s a blessing to be away from Syngorn.

Gods, how she loathes that place.

Besides, the dances held each night were masquerades and well, she could find the fun in that! She was good with masks after all, though not quite the physical kind. Either way, this was little more than a performance for the two of them, a dance that was not so unfamiliar. 

“Well, shall we?” she says with false cheer, her reflection lighting up with a smile that only the two of them know is false. “Might as well get this whole dreadful event good and done with, yes? Let the past become the past?”

“I like the way you think, dear sister,” Vax says, holding out his arm for her. She loops hers with his, her gloved hand resting on the inside of his elbow delicately, and together they exit their guest quarters to embrace the festivities and face the music, quite literally. 

\-----

The walls of Whitestone castle, while not as suffocating as those of Syngorn, still feel something like a cage to Vex when they make their sweeping entrance down the hallway and through the high archway into the ballroom. Her fingers dig into her brother’s arm, gathering the material of his robes and tugging it tight around his elbow. 

The castle’s ballroom is… stunning, to say the least. On their level, the flooring that wraps around the room is lined with gold railing, and several beautiful glass doors lead out to balconies. The staircase directly in front of them is sweeping, widening at the base and leading directly onto the main floor. The room itself is large, with vaulted ceilings and a magnificent glass door at the other end, leading out into what Vex presumes is the gardens. Music floats gently through the room, showcasing the couples dancing within the middle, whilst other nobles stand on the edges, talking amongst themselves. 

The twins share a lingering look as they descend the staircase to the main floor. Many eyes turn to greet them as they step out onto the floor of the room, faces shrouded by masks. Their eyes flicker to her and her brother’s ears with something akin to surprise, as if they hadn't expected any non-human attendees. Vex spots some nobles leaning into each other, whispering amongst themselves, and she steels herself.

Pricks. 

A man with a mask made entirely of hold approaches them, dipping into bow. Vex’s fingers itch just looking at the shiny thing. “Vex’ahlia and Vax’ildan of Syngorn, I presume?”

“What gave it away, the ears?” Vex says dryly, catching her brother’s flash of a smile from the corner of her eye that fades as the man rises, seemingly caught off guard. “Regardless, yes, that is us.”

“Ah, yes, well,” the man stumbles over his words, attempting to regain his footing in the conversation; Vex smugly notes the light flush to his cheeks visible from underneath the mask. “I am Frederick de Rolo, and I welcome you to our home. I regret that I was not able to greet you as you arrive. I trust you’ll enjoy your stay at Whitestone.”

“Thank you,” Vax says with a tight smile, and together the twins return Lord de Rolo’s gesture. He gives them a tight smile that looks quite strained, before departing with a promise to talk again quite soon.

Vex thinks, briefly, that she will die before too soon has come. 

The twins find themselves alone together once more, and despite the fact that there are clearly eyes upon them, no others approach them. Vex sighs under her breath, a sound that is lost to the music. 

A familiar dance, indeed.

“I think I shall go to the gardens, brother,” Vex says, eager to be away from the mass of prying eyes, and Vax nods his head in acknowledgement. He looks just as uncomfortable as she feels, and the muscles of his arm are taut with tension underneath her fingers.

“I’d like to get my hands on some kind of alcohol, but I’ll meet you out there, yes?”

“Snag some for me,” Vex replies, and they grin at each other momentarily before departing in opposite directions. It makes her a bit anxious being apart from her brother, even if for a moment, but the promise of alcohol and his quick return soothes her.

She presses her way through the room, moving expertly around the various nobles; their eyes follow her, as if they expect her to do something outlandish at any second. She gives them no such relief, moving plainly through the room and out into the gardens. 

Pleasantly, she finds a distinct lack of people out in the gardens. Even with the chill in the air, Vex finds it to be more welcoming than the atmosphere inside the ballroom. The music is quieted from the distance, but it still follows her as she walks. She wanders through the expanse of the plants, finding that the garden itself is quite large, almost resembling a labyrinth or a maze. If the plants were any taller, she could find herself getting lost among them. 

The sheer amount of different flowers and plants that inhabit the garden takes Vex’s breath away. She touches the petals of a vibrant orange flower as she walks, stunned.

After a bit of walking, she comes to a tree at what she assumes to be the middle of the garden. It’s large, the trunk at least three times as thick as she is, and it easily towers above her. It’s not nearly as tall as the castle itself, and it’s not quite as beautiful as the tree in the middle of town they had seen when arriving, but it’s height is impressive, and Vex wonders for a moment just how long it has been growing here. Placing a gloved hand on the base of the tree, she idly begins circling it, and unexpectedly comes face to face with a man, leaning against the opposite side of the tree and looking quite startled at her sudden appearance.

(Though it's not really face to face when both parties are wearing masks now, is it?)

The man in question is clearly human, which is not entirely surprising given their location, and he’s wearing some of the nicest finery that Vex has yet to see, even after wading her way through the mass of nobles. His coat is a rich blue color with gold clasps and lined with fur, which she spots with a stab of jealousy; her bare arms have grown quite cold. His mask is made of a similar material quite like hers, though while hers gleams silver, his is flush with gold. There’s seemingly untold wealth in the glistening metal resting on his face, and it makes a part of her mind recoil in surprise.

Of all the masks she’d seen, his was the most exquisite. 

“Oh,” she says quietly, equally as surprised to see someone as he seems to be. “Escaping the masses as well, are you?”

A practiced smile splits across the man’s face, and he chuckles. “Needless to say, I didn't think that they would follow me.”

His humor is perhaps more startling than finding him hiding behind a tree, and she can’t help the laughter that bubbles past her lips. He gives her an amused smile, almost sheepish, as if he had expected her laughter just as much as he did her presence.

Vex leans against the tree with him, close enough that she can feel the warmth radiating from him and his beautiful fur-lined coat. She rubs at the gooseflesh on her arms, attempting to warm herself up, as close as is appropriate to the man in an attempt to sap some of the warmth from him. 

“Are you cold?” he asks, hesitant yet assured, as if he analyzes each word before speaking. It’s a strange balance, the gentle way he speaks and the firm tone he uses. A reluctance matched with an eagerness that she’s never heard before.

“Quite,” she replies. “I find that it’s warmer than the stares from inside, though, so I’m inclined to deal with it for the time being.” 

“That’s not entirely necessary,” he says, and before she can ask his meaning, he is sliding the coat from his shoulders and holding it out to her. She blinks in surprise, before smiling widely and turning, allowing him to drape the warm coat over her shoulders. She pulls it around her, sinking happily into the warmth it provides. It smells distinctly like ink and fire, an intriguing though odd scent. “You were not warmly welcomed, then?”

“Not really. The Lord welcomed my brother and I, though I assume out of curiosity or manners than anything else. We were met by whispers otherwise, but that’s not so unusual.” She clutches the coat tighter around her, enjoying the way it keeps away the cold.

The man falls silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, before frowning heavily. “That’s not acceptable, not at all. I will speak with Lord de Rolo before tomorrow’s event, my lady.”

Vex blinks in surprise, eyeing the man curiously from behind her mask, unable to stop the flush that rises to her cheeks. “Oh, that’s alright, I don’t wish to be a bother-”

“Nonsense,” he says, waving a hand in the air as if he’s batting away the mere notion that she is troubling him. “A beautiful woman such as yourself should not be subject to such disdain. I won’t allow it.”

“Such a gentleman,” she says, delighting in the flush his cheeks gain at her words, her own cheeks still warm. “Have you a fancy name to go with your manners?”

“I've got many, yes, as it is with nobles,” he chuckles, seemingly at ease, but she notes the nervous way he shifts in place. “But here? Not the one that was given to me, if you’ll allow it. Not here.”

“A game, then?” she asks curiously, understanding; it’s an excuse, an escape, it’s the reason he’s behind a tree and not within the ballroom, be it nerves or stress. She understands, and allows it, and even delights in it. “I like it.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. Names defeat the purpose of masks, don’t you agree?”

“I do,” he says, and she can tell that he’s relaxed now; confident, even. “Would you care for a dance, my lady?”

“I would like that very much, good sir,” Vex says teasingly, more than ready to return the ballroom with a companion; her presence has already ruffled some feathers, so why not? She pulls his coat from her shoulders, now pleasantly warm, and pushes it into his hands when he looks like he’s going to resist. “It will be warmer inside.”

He relents, pulling it on and holding his arm out for her. She places a hand on the inside of his elbow pleasantly, and together they return back from the way they came. 

\-----

They encounter her brother holding two bottles of fine wine near the doorway leading into the ballroom from the gardens, and she winks at him as they pass, ignoring the curious twitch of his eyebrow and sly smile he adopts.

The ballroom is alight when they enter, and Vex revels in the way eyebrows raise as the two of them saunter into the room. She manages to keep the smug smile from her lips as her companion takes her hand and, in time with the shifting of the music, pulls her into a dance. 

She spins into it with practiced ease, allowing him to lead her through the steps of the simple dance as they swirl through the floor of dancing nobles. She feels light, and for the first time in her life, she blends easily within the dancing mass of humans. Surely the two of them stick out, but Vex can’t find it in herself to care.

Needless to say, she can’t will away her delighted smile no matter how hard she tries.

Her partner is smiling as well, a broad and cheerful grin, as if he’s not had this much fun in ages. They move in sync, winding around the other dancing nobles with ease, and she pays close attention to their movement so she won’t step on his feet. 

“I was never fond of these events,” he says, breath ghosting over her ear as he pulls her in to whisper over the music. She suppresses the shiver that rises in her at the sudden warmth.“But I’m beginning to change my mind.”

“You aren't the only one,” she says coyly, rubbing her thumb in circles on his shoulder absentmindedly. His hand tightens reflexively on her waist. “I must admit, I haven’t been to very many.”

“You’re no noble, then?” he asks, curiosity creeping into his voice. 

“No, not really,” she says, skirting carefully around the solid details of her past, and the bittersweet memories that rise with it. “Quite the opposite.”

“Ah,” he says, noting her change in demeanor. Despite being clearly very curious and intrigued, and a bit confused even, he avoids asking what she doesn't want to hear. “Well, I always thought them quite pointless.”

She laughs softly, smiling. “Yes… I do so agree.”

He smiles shyly, and pulls her into a dip as the song winds to an end. The air leaves her lungs, and she blinks in surprise up at him. She watches mirth glitter in his blue eyes behind his mask, the ends of his brown hair framing it. She smiles up at him, feeling her heart jump to her throat.

_Shit_.

He pulls her out of the dip moments later, holding her steady with his hands as she almost stumbles. Her heart races inside her chest, beating so loud that she’s afraid it echos within the large room. As it is with most of her past romantic endeavors, she’s hit with the urge to turn tail and run.

“I… I must go,” she says, politely dipping into a curtsy. As she rises, she can see the surprise and disappointment on his face clear as day, as if there wasn't any mask upon it at all. Before she can convince herself otherwise, she turns on her heel and moves as quickly as is appropriate to the staircase.

She almost expects him to give chase, but when she looks over her shoulder, he is right where she left him, watching her with an unreadable expression.

Attempting to calm her beating heart, she turns away, and flees. 

\-----

Her brother finds her not much later, sitting on the edge of her bed in their guest room. She has her hands in her lap, holding her mask, turning it over and running her bare fingers lightly over the materials. The pins from her hair sit abandoned with her gloves on the end table, pulled out haphazardly and subsequently forgotten. Her hair, now loose from it’s braided updo, falls over her shoulder like a curtain.

He sits on the bed next to her silently, and if she was not so attuned to him, she would have been startled. There’s a stilted and long pause before he gently pulls the mask from her hands and places it with her gloves and pins on the end table. His own mask follows shortly.

“Are you alright?” Vax asks, pulling his fingers through Vex’s hair. She turns her head, allowing him to start to pull her hair into a braid. She’s hit with a pang of longing, remembering the times before Syngorn.

She hums quietly. “Yes, of course. Merely startled.”

“Who was that man?” he asks, jumping right into the questions now that he’s sure she’s not upset. “I didn’t expect you to run off to the gardens and return with a man on your arms, you sly woman.”

She laughs, and Vax pauses in his braiding as her body shakes. “We didn’t exchange names. He’s just some noble who finds these events as tiring as I do.”

“He was handsome,” Vax says, and Vex knows him so well that she doesn’t have to turn to see his wolfish grin.

“He certainly was,” Vex says, chastising her heart for the flutter it makes. “I thought… I thought perhaps it would be fun, a nameless man to fool around with for a few days, to pass the time with at this dreadful event, but he’s just so… sincere.”

“Fool around, sister!” Vax chuckles. “It’s not as though you have the opportunity in Syngorn. It’s just two more days, and you’ll likely never cross paths again.”

Vex rolls the thought around in her head for a moment, suddenly feeling quite foolish for not thinking of it herself. “You’re right after all, brother.”

“Of course I am, Stubby,” Vax says, finishing off the braid by tying a ribbon at the end. “Just have what fun you can while we’re here, because it’s back to Syngorn after this. And we both know what that means.”

“Then I shall,” Vex says, pulling the braid over her shoulder and idly touching the white ribbon holding her braid in place, thinking of the place that has become her home but feels so much more like a prison. 

“Good, because if you don’t, I’d have to steal him away from you.”

They laugh, and she gently swats at his shoulder. His arm comes around her and holds her close, and she leans her head onto his shoulder, glad that through all that they’ve been through, he is always by her side.

**Author's Note:**

> title is based on a sisters of mercy song by the way, by the same title.
> 
> sidenote, thanks to [drelectroma](http://drelectroma.tumblr.com/) for inspiring me, letting me bombard them with this fic, and even sending me references and beautiful drawings of some of Vex's dresses! <3 
> 
> i'm also on tumblr [here](http://rogueandranger.tumblr.com/) if you want to ask me stuff abt this or perc'ahlia in general, or just bug me to update!
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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